ALBANY, N.Y. March 16, 2009 - New York State United Teachers today congratulated Merryl H. Tisch on her election as chancellor of the Board of Regents, saying she has impressed educators with her strong advocacy for what children need to succeed.
NYSUT President Richard C. Iannuzzi said that, in her 13 years on the Board of Regents, "Merryl Tisch has demonstrated a keen understanding and passion for what teachers do and schools need in order to continue raising standards and driving improvement. We expect her to be, like Chancellor Bennett, a strong advocate for investing in public schools, especially those high-need school districts where we are making substantial progress toward ending the achievement gap."
NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira, who is the union's front-line advocate to the Board of Regents and State Education Department, has met regularly with Tisch for many years. Neira said Tisch is "a true collaborator and partner who works tirelessly to make good policies that benefit students and all educators."
"We congratulate her on her election, and believe she will be a fierce advocate for good teaching and for programs that help students achieve at the very highest levels," Neira said. "We look forward to continuing to work closely with her as chancellor."
Neira also noted that Tisch is the first woman to serve as chancellor. "In the teaching field, 70 percent of the practitioners are women, so it's especially inspiring to see this 'first' in the great history of education in New York State."
NYSUT, the state's largest union, represents some 600,000 classroom teachers and other school employees; faculty and other professionals at the state's community colleges, State University of New York and City University of New York, and other education and health professionals. NYSUT is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association and AFL-CIO.
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